Is This A Typical R72 Imperf?

I was just looking at one of my newly acquired stamps. What I believe to be a R72. After reading many threads about trimmed edges I instantly think the edges are trimmed. But after looking at Cat. Value which is modest and about the same either way. And looking at scans of these in listing on ebay, I am thinking maybe this is the way they looked. Of course then there is the hole in his head. Is this a cancel? Or does someone have a problem with the father of my country? Its not between the eyes but pretty close. Any thoughts welcomed.

Most of my imperfs are on a different paper than the regular perfed items. For me it is the easiest way to tell if it is genuine...... Now some rev expert will tell me I am way off base. A lot of stuff being offered as imperf or part perf is in fact trimmed. I would not buy one of either without inspection or online it must have at least 3 nice margins before I will bid.

Good tip. I too would be leary of paying a premium for a imperf. This stamp was in a large lot of others so it is no big deal if someone did in fact take the scissors to it. I just question why, as the perforate version has similar Cat. value.

I have found many that were trimmed regardless of value. I think sometimes it may have been to fill a hole in their album with no fraud intended. I have seen collections were people had cut out pictures of stamps to fill the holes in their album. Kind of goofy, but not really fraudulent unless they were trying to sell it or pass it off as genuine.

By the way, good choice for your avatar. I requested a new one about 6 weeks ago. I guess it takes a while.

The paper, the shade, the impression, the margins, and the date and location of use (if available) are all important in determining the validity of imperf and part perf first issue revenues. A single glance tells me that the pictured stamp is a genuine imperf. Even from a scan the look, shade, paper color and vertical margins all are what they should be. This stamp was probably used in a custom house, being a government building punch hole cancels were popular there to prevent reuse of stamps. Although there are many stamps with custom house cancels that were not punched since each one was independent in these matters.
Paper is very important in first issues, but it must be remembered that it was hand made and sold in packages by weight. Thicker or thinner sheets were used to adjust any differences as needed. Butler & Carpenter simply took the top sheets every day, so even though imperfs and part perfs are usually on a thin paper, it can vary greatly between different stamps based on what they happened to have on hand that day. The low value blue colored stamps tend to be thinner than the low value red color stamps, for example. The $1-$50 imperf and part perf stamps are usually very thin but the $200 imperf is on an almost parchment type paper, thick and white. Because perforated stamps ALSO come on pretty much all of these papers, knowing the shades of imperf and part perfs are very important. Imperf and part perf stamps were only issued for a fairly short period of time, and any leftovers went back for perforation when the machines were working properly again (ten different sizes to perforate made for many headaches). That is why the shades are so consistent, they were usually printed in one batch and had little variation in the shades.

The common stamps that are trimmed and do not imitate a scarce variety were probably trimmed by the taxpayers to fit on a document. That was their purpose after all.

Thank you revcollector for the great info. Paper identification is one area I need work in.

I would have no idea what a $200 imperfs paper is like but I would sure like to know first hand. I don't even have the $200 perfed variety in my collection. ( I am missing 3 of the first issue perforated stamps).It's good to see that revcollector confirms part of what I say about the paper. He is much more knowledgeable than I am. I have noticed the difference in color, but I am less sure using this as a guide as I have found colors on all the perfed varieties to vary greatly.
I have a question for revcollector; Do you know what time period the part perfs and imperfs where printed? It would help in identification as anything prior to that date would obviously be a trimmed copy.

Imperfs and part perfs were printed sometime in 1863, but no one really knows exactly when or for exactly how long they were being shipped out. Using dates is a bit tricky as is almost everything is regarding these issues; there was a certain amount of backdating early in the tax period because many people were unsure of the specific regulations regarding the use of these stamps.
Major east coast cities like NYC, Philadelphia (where the stamps were printed), and Boston never had any trouble getting stamps so most stamps used in those cities past the middle of 1864 should set off a little alarm. They still might be good, but they become doubtful quickly. This is for the better stamps, of course. No one is trimming 2 cent bank checks. The farther away and smaller locations will obviously be somewhat later, and each stamp must be looked at on it's own merits, although most stamps used after early 1865 are less likely to be good. HOWEVER-the west coast locations like San Francisco used part perfs and imperfs for a very long time, and even genuine 1871 usages are known, sometimes used in strips of four or five stamps. For what ever reason there was a considerable supply out there, plus the population was smaller so less stamps were needed per year. So the date, while important, is not an absolute indicator. Alas, nothing is by itself. There is no magic formula for these issues, it takes many years of study and even then it can be very difficult or even impossible to be sure of some stamps. I am friends with and spend a lot of time talking to someone who has collected first issues exclusively for 50 years now in addition to being one of the top experts on US stamps in the country, and even he occasionally can't be sure of some stamps, usually a part perf. Study, study, study!! That is all any of us can do, since no one has built a time machine yet to allow us to go back and ask questions. :-)

rev.. when I saw that stamp I immediately thought it was real as well. hanging around you is rubbing off.

So the only thing for certain is that if it is dated 1862 it can't be a genuine imperf or part perf? That doesn't narrow it down as much as I hoped as 1862 dates on any rev are not super common. I have collected U.S. revenues for over 40 years. I am not an expert and I am still learning more all the time. I also have a friend with an amazing revenue collection. He may still be the president of the national revenue club. (I forgot the name) We are both members of the Collectors Club in Minnesota. Bob always has amazing stuff to show that includes things such only two or three known to exist type items. He is an award winning exhibitor and an APS show judge. His match and medicine collection is truly amazing. I can only dream of such a collection.

As I wrote, since there was at least some amount of backdating going on, an 1862 date can still be found on a genuine imperf or part perf. Sometimes dates can be found from before there was a tax or the stamps were even printed.
I know match and medicines well, I wish I could see that collection.

That sounds like Bob Hohertz. Great guy! I've bought quite a bit of 1st issue material from him in the last 3 years.

Regarding part perfs and imperfs in 1862, while the vast majority of 1862-dated examples I have are perforates, I have quite a few that are imperfs and part perfs.

This link does a search for just the stamps on my site that are dated 1862:

http://www.revenue-collector.com/cg...celYear=1862